Watermelon Granita with Hibiscus Syrup and Yogurt

Photo: Caitlin Bensel

Active Time

16 Mins

Total Time

3 Hours 16 Mins

Yield

Serves 8

August 2017

Karen Hatfield serves this at her LA restaurant, Odys & Penelope. Find dried hibiscus flowers at specialty markets, Latin markets, and health food stores. You can subsitute grenadine syrup to good effect, but Hatfield asserts that hibiscus syrup best complements the fruit in this dish. Scraping the granita until it’s snowlike and fluffy is key to the textural pleasure here.

Ingredients

6 cups diced seedless yellow watermelon

7 tablespoons sugar, divided

1/4 cup dried hibiscus flowers

1/4 cup water

2 cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered

3 large basil leaves, torn

Nutritional Information

Calories 148

Fat 2.3g

Satfat 1.3g

Monofat 0.6g

Polyfat 0.2g

Protein 3g

Carbohydrate 31g

Fiber 1g

Cholesterol 8mg

Iron 1mg

Sodium 32mg

Calcium 92mg

Sugars 26g

Est. added sugars 16g

Calories 148

Fat 2.3g

Satfat 1.3g

Monofat 0.6g

Polyfat 0.2g

Protein 3g

Carbohydrate 31g

Fiber 1g

Cholesterol 8mg

Iron 1mg

Sodium 32mg

Calcium 92mg

Sugars 26g

Est. added sugars 16g

How to Make It

Step 1

Combine watermelon and 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl; toss well. Let stand 15 minutes. Place watermelon mixture in a blender, in batches if needed; blend until smooth. Pour puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a 13- x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish; discard solids. Place watermelon mixture in freezer for 45 minutes. Scrape with a fork, and stir; return to freezer. Repeat procedure every 30 minutes until granita is completely frozen.

Step 2

Combine flowers, 1/4 cup water, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; simmer 3 minutes or until syrup just coats a spoon, stirring well. Strain syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl; discard solids.

Step 3

Place 1/4 cup yogurt in each of 8 chilled parfait glasses. Top each serving with 1/4 cup strawberries. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon hibiscus syrup over strawberries. Scrape and fluff granita with a fork; top each serving with 1/2 cup granita. Top servings evenly with basil. Serve immediately.